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An image from a MillerCoors commercial touting Miller Lite. MillerCoors recently sued Anheuser-Busch InBev over the latter's commercials targeting the use of corn syrup in beers produced by MillerCoors and other companies.

MillerCoors sues Anheuser-Busch InBev over corn syrup commercials

MADISON, Wis. — MillerCoors has filed a lawsuit against Anheuser-Busch InBev over its series of commercials on the use of corn syrup in the brewing process.

Corn syrup is not used in the production of Bud Light, but MillerCoors does use it in its beers. Television commercials that tout Bud Light's non-use of corn syrup began airing during the Super Bowl. The commercials take place in the medieval setting that has been used in Bud Light's previous campaigns, featuring the "Dilly! Dilly!" slogan.

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Wisconsin alleges the ads are false and misleading. MillerCoors says contrary to those ads, there is no corn syrup in the final product, and they don't use high fructose corn syrup.

"We use corn syrup as a fermentation aid to get the yeast active to help brew the great beer. It actually doesn't wind up in finished product at all. But there's actually not high fructose corn syrup but that was the intention of those ads," says Adam Collins, MillerCoors vice president of communications.

MillerCoors is asking a federal court to halt the ads and force Anheuser-Busch to launch a new campaign to correct the false impressions.

In statements to media, a spokesperson for Anheuser-Busch has said the company stands by its advertisements, which the company feels provide transparency to consumers.

Prior to the filing of the lawsuit, MillerCoors also announced a new ad campaign taking aim at Bud Light's medieval series. The commercials, slated to run during the NCAA basketball tournament, depict actors leaving medieval scenes to go off camera and drink Miller Lite rather than Bud Light.